Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and mild to moderate learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 12 July 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have made progress from their starting point in the home. Staff provide children with love, nurture and appropriate role modelling. Children receive effectively planned care to help them to make good progress. Consequently, children are settled and enjoying living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are regularly captured and acted on. For example, one child asked for a new bed, and this was purchased. House meetings have been made less formal so that children feel part of a normal family home. This means that children have positive experiences living in their home and are confident that their views matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff genuinely care about the children. One child who is due to leave soon told the inspector, ‘This home is amazing, if I was to give another child who was the same as me a place, I would give them this house.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in their education. One child would like to attend a mainstream school rather than an alternative provision. The registered manager has plans to support this child to achieve this wish. Another child has started to travel home from school on the bus with his friends. This is a huge step in the child’s progress in building up their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff hold regular key-work sessions with children. Topics covered relate well to the children’s current care plans and help support continuous progress. For example, one child has been supported to manage her own medication in readiness to move onto independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are supported to be healthy and attend regular check-ups when required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving on from the home receive a bespoke plan of support. The registered manager was able to demonstrate how the staff have supported one child to return to live with their family. This includes daily support from staff in the family home, including educating family members on how best to support the child’s emotional needs. This has led to a great outcome for the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children in this home do not go missing. One child who arrived at the home under a deprivation of liberty order due to high-risk missing incidents has managed to have the order removed. This has been achieved because staff have built positive relationships with the child. One child said, ‘When I went missing, they never shouted at me, they just picked me up and were so supportive.’ This practice Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 4 demonstrates the nurturing approach staff take and the impact this has had for one child’s progress in no longer requiring a deprivation of liberty order.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager has ensured that staff are safely recruited. Consequently, children are supported by staff that have been safely vetted to care for them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

An isolated incident of bullying between children was managed effectively. Restorative work with children was completed and there have been no further incidents. Furthermore, children when spoken to said they felt safe and could speak to all the staff if they were ever worried. This demonstrates that children feel safe in their home and have trusted relationships with the staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are aware of the need for consistent boundaries for children. The inspector was able to see this in practice during the interactions between the children and staff. However, sanctions for children are not always proportionate. For example, one child has been deprived access to their devices for being untruthful. This is not a restorative or educational use of sanctions and has created a missed opportunity to help a child to learn about being truthful.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children live in a spacious environment surrounded by farmland. A small water feature has recently been purchased at one child’s request. However, some areas of the home require attention such as peeling paintwork and minor repairs. The registered manager took swift action to address some of the minor repairs during the inspection.

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good

The registered manager feels supported by the responsible individual. She receives regular and constructive supervision, which helps her to develop the home. The registered manager has plans to develop the home, including seeking regular feedback from stakeholders and using this to continually make progress.

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good

Equally, staff receive regular supervision and feel valued within the team. Training for staff is identified as part of their continued professional development. However, some staff have not gained the required qualification in the relevant timescales. While the registered manager has a plan to address this, progress is slow. This was a requirement at the last inspection and will be repeated.

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good

Appropriate action is taken by senior leaders when there is a concern about a child. For example, one child raised concerns regarding a staff member. This was investigated and led to the staff member being dismissed. However, records do not always clearly demonstrate the action taken and decision-making, and whether the threshold was met to make a referral to the disclosure and barring service.

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good

Incidents of restraint are rare in the home. Staff have positive relationships with children and understand that restraint is used as a last resort. However, there are shortfalls in records made after children are restrained and the registered manager’s Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 5 monitoring has failed to highlight this shortfall. This does not provide accurate information on the use of physical intervention.

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good

Listening devices are used in the home for staff communication at night time. While this is not used to directly monitor children, this is not included in the home’s statement of purpose, nor is there any policy in place to oversee the use of the devices. Furthermore, children who do not require bedroom door alarms at night have not had this practice reviewed as their risks have decreased. This practice is not sufficiently assessed and does not reflect progress children have made.

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good

Feedback from external providers is very positive about the care provided to children. The staff communicate well with professionals and provider regular updates regarding children. They are confident in the registered manager and the care provided to the children. Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider should address the shortfalls in: records made for children, progress in staff qualifications, and the manager’s oversight and monitoring of records and reporting.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 7 so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(v)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c )) 31 August 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the children’s home is nurturing and address shortfalls in the aesthetics of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 8 children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice.

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Recommendations

In particular, external referrals are made to the disclosure and barring service where this is deemed appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 13.1)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2501791 10 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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